Hydrogen isn’t emerging anymore. It’s executing. That was the resounding takeaway at World Hydrogen 2025, the leading global event in Rotterdam. From project pipelines to policy mechanisms, the sector is growing up fast—and the age of infrastructure is here.
Across exhibition floors and expert panels, one message stood out: in 2025, hydrogen trends are no longer theoretical. Project announcements are turning into electrolyzer deployments. Stakeholders are shifting focus from ambitions to actual production, especially in the field of hydrogen production from water electrolysis.
We’ve entered a new chapter. This event wasn’t about slogans—it was about infrastructure, execution, and scale. The age of hydrogen is here to stay, and it’s becoming deeply industrial.
In this blog post, we share five key hydrogen trends we observed at the event—and how they align with our philosophy at Exion Hydrogen.
A Midway Moment for the Hydrogen Transition
Positioned as a checkpoint between the 2020s hydrogen launchpad and the 2030 climate targets, the Rotterdam summit sparked both reflection and recalibration.
Today, the clean hydrogen sector produces just 0.2 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa)—a drop in the ocean compared to 97 Mtpa of grey hydrogen. But growth is accelerating: by 2027, output is expected to rise fifteen-fold to 3 Mtpa. And BloombergNEF (BNEF) estimated that 47 Mtpa of clean hydrogen production could be operational by 2030, with 16 Mtpa probably being a more realistic guesstimate.
This shift is already visible in the numbers. Status Q2 2025, there are 389 green hydrogen projects past Final Investment Decision (FID) and effectively under construction—a major milestone that shows the sector is finally breaking ground.
Policies like RED III, national hydrogen valley programs, and Renewable Fuels of Non-Biological Origin (RFNBO) mandates are now being enforced, helping secure industrial offtake and pushing projects toward viability.
However, the industry still faces complexity. Attendees in Rotterdam called for more pragmatic regulations, streamlined permitting, and smarter incentive structures that align with broader economic and climate priorities.
Against this backdrop, five clear hydrogen trends are shaping the future of hydrogen—each pointing to a sector that’s becoming sharper, more focused, and ready to scale.
5 Hydrogen Trends That Define the Industry in 2025
As we see it, the hydrogen industry is entering a decisive three-year window. Hydrogen is evolving from a fragmented innovation play to a strategically aligned sector.
1. Consolidation Is Accelerating
The electrolyzer market is entering a survival-of-the-fittest phase. Underfunded or unproven OEMs are being acquired, shut down, or forced to pivot. Some manufacturers have overbuilt capacity based on forecasts that haven’t fully materialized—leading to mounting financial strain.
Private equity and industrial investors are reacting. They’re shifting focus toward proven technologies, scalable teams, and stable business models. This shift was strongly reflected at the summit and is echoed across the trade press.
Simultaneously, the influx of low-cost equipment from Chinese electrolyzer OEMs is reshaping the global landscape. While disruptive pricing strategies are a major factor, reliability, durability, and responsiveness remain essential pillars of the hydrogen industry. This evolution poses a significant challenge to Western OEMs—not just in terms of cost, but also in maintaining technological differentiation and ensuring supply chain resilience.
2. From Valuation to Value Creation
The hydrogen sector is moving beyond the hype cycle. Investors are no longer swayed by gigawatt-scale ambitions alone—they want cash flow, validated IP, and real deployments.
Stakeholders are prioritizing financial discipline, bankability, and operational readiness. The shift is clear: prototypes and pitch decks are out; industrial reliability and cost control are in.
These priorities apply equally to strategic mergers and acquisitions as they do to industrial partnerships.
3. Component Innovation Is Key
As electrolyzer OEMs converge on similar system-level KPIs, differentiation is shifting to the component level. Stack design, thermal management, and materials innovation are becoming key performance drivers.
It’s no longer just about the box—it’s about what’s inside. These innovations directly affect system efficiency, cost structure, and deployment models.
4. FID-Backed Projects Surge
Green hydrogen is moving out of the concept phase. It’s in procurement.
The Hydrogen Insights 2024 report, published by the Hydrogen Council in collaboration with McKinsey & Company, highlights that the number of clean hydrogen projects reaching FID has increased from 120 in 2020 to 434 projects in 2024. This global evolution reflects a growth in committed investment from approximately USD 10 billion in 2020 to around USD 75 billion in 2024.
These 434 clean hydrogen projects represent a combined production capacity of approximately 4.6 Mtpa. Most of these are tied to heavy industry decarbonization and mobility hubs—applications where hydrogen can make the biggest and fastest impact.
5. Structured Offtake Becomes Standard
The hydrogen market is clearly maturing, with a shift toward structured offtake agreements driving real-world project execution.
Early enthusiasm is giving way to long-term contracts with industrial buyers, making projects more bankable and reducing investment risk.
Naturally, OPEX-optimized and lifecycle cost-competitive solutions will need to align with the risk profiles of offtakers to succeed in this environment. While it remains important to critically assess the effectiveness of policy implementation, frameworks such as RED III and RFNBO mandates are reinforcing this trend by requiring clearly contracted and traceable supply.
The growing number of projects reaching Final Investment Decision (FID) signals that hydrogen is moving from ambition to execution—driven by committed demand rather than merely anticipated interest.
A Sector in Motion—and Exion Hydrogen’s Role in It
World Hydrogen 2025 left no doubt: the hydrogen economy is no longer speculative—it’s real, regulated, and racing toward scale. The time to execute is now.
This momentum validates the approach we’ve long embraced at Exion Hydrogen. Our commitment to delivering safe, robust, and reliable electrolyzers is rooted in clear design principles, bankable manufacturing, and industrial pragmatism. That’s why we created the Exion Manifesto—our compass for every decision we make, from component selection to customer support.
It’s more than words. Our manifesto shapes the electrolyzers we build, the partnerships we pursue, and the scaling strategy we follow. It reflects our DNA: resilient technology, deep commitment, and a steady, responsible path toward growth.
We thoroughly enjoyed reconnecting with peers and partners in Rotterdam and look forward to continuing the conversation at Hydrogen Technology Expo 2025 in Hamburg and World Hydrogen 2026. Until then, we invite you to explore our manifesto and see where Exion Hydrogen is headed next.
Curious how our approach could support your project?
Feel free to get in touch with our team—we’d be happy to discuss your goals and how we can help you get there.
Do you have any questions, want to reach out, or want to work together?
Please get in touch through sales@exionhydrogen.com or +32 14 91 99 19.
